1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic business transaction system for exchanging information of business transactions via a communication network and the like, and in particular, to an electronic business transaction system for electronically effecting business transactions between companies and firms via a communication network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in the processing of business transactions between firms, there have been increasingly utilized electronic business transactions in which information of transactions are electronically communicated between firms via remote terminals of the firms through a network connecting the terminals to each other. For example, an example of such an electronic business transaction system has been described in pages 83 to 92 of the "Electronic Settlement and Financial Reform" published from the Toyo Keizai Shimpo. According to the transaction system, data items of business transactions are exchanged via a network between firms in conformity with standardized rules to completely effect the business activity for the data items. Any firms to sachieve business transactions send data items such as a request for an estimate for articles and an indication of order of the articles to a mail box disposed on the network or data items such as an estimate in response to the request and a notification of delivery of articles. Through the operations above, the firms concerned can communicate data items therebetween to accomplish desired business.
However, it is impossible in accordance with the prior art to carry out an operation to authenticate members who conduct transactions and/or an operation to prove the contents and time of transaction data and names of members related to the transaction. Additionally, the business transaction between firms is substantially achieved only between two firms which have been beforehand recognized as business partners, i.e., only one-to-one business transactions have been taken into consideration. That is, the conventional technology is attended with a drawback that an open transaction or open business such as an open purchase in which a large number of firms participate cannot be achieved.
Furthermore, the prior art requires each member to individually conduct management jobs including management of issued orders and accepted orders.